Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
Joy H. wrote: "Hi Linda,Sounds like a great trip! We have loads of wild turkeys around here too. :) Nice to hear from you!
Went to the "StewFest" in downtown Glens Falls yesterday. Sampled a gumbo at Tallulah's..."
Thanks for the link to Uncorked. I've bought gifts from that store but didn't know about the mailing list for fun activities. I'm going to add my name!
I'm back. All went well. No drain in the cyst, just self-absorbing stitches, so all should be well in a week or so. While in, I got my first colonoscopy. The worst part of that was the cleaning I went through yesterday. Well, I got my bedroom all cleaned up, including dusting all the books & did some rearranging. That kept me close to the bathroom, but still let me get something useful done. Nothing found, so I don't have to get another for a decade or so. (Likely, that means never. The prep really, really sucked.)
Speaking of devilish things, I had a colonoscopy a few years ago. No fun, especially the prep the day before at home. But during the procedure, they dope you up nicely so that you don't feel too disturbed even though you're awake.I had a scare with a swollen foot yesterday. Had all the tests: blood for heart, urine for kidney, ultra-sound in leg for clots. All was normal. They still don't know what caused it. They call that idiopathic; it means they don't know. :) Derived from idiot, I guess. :)
They told me that Medicare won't pay the $83 for the ultra-sound because I didn't have shortness of breath.
...derived from idiot indeed! LOL! Hope all is well.The anesthesiologist was fantastic. He said he was going to give me a little something & the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room. In between was absolutely nothing, just gone. Never knew I fell asleep.
I was supposed to stay there an hour, but woke up almost immediately & sat up, which surprised the nurse. Apparently I'd been there less than 5 minutes. She told me to lay down a while, so I did. She said she meant more than a couple of minutes, but quickly gave up. She let me go after about 20 minutes total & seemed kind of frustrated. Oh well.
Instructions were to eat a little of something bland, no grease, but my wonderful wife took me to Penn Station Subs where I got a large hot Italian with the works & large fries. She got the Club sub & we ate it there. YUM!!! After almost 2 days without food, it was heaven!!! I finished it for dinner tonight. My stomach loves me again.
:-)
Jim, I had a colonoscopy done back in the 90s (it was completely unnecessary, but with heroic self-control, I'll stay off of THAT subject! :-) ) so I know all about the "cleaning." Let's just say I never want to go through it again, and you have my total sympathy!Joy, I'm glad your tests didn't find anything seriously wrong, but sorry you won't get reimbursed for that $83.00! Medicare isn't all it's cracked up to be. :-(
Werner, it was interesting to find out how decisions are made on what Medicare pays for and what it doesn't. It was also interesting to learn about the different tests they can do to diagnose ailments. Of course some tests are easier than others. :)
Jim, anesthesia is tricky. I woke up during my cataract operation and tried to raise my head! They told me not to move. I don't know why they don't strap the head down so that the patient can't move. Fortunately, the doctor was finished. But it was probably a close call because I heard him say something like: "It's OK, I'm out of there."
I'm glad I didn't wake up. I really screwed up with this cyst. They literally had to cut me from stem to past my stern to get it all so now I'm stitched there. Thankfully the wonderful chemists have come up with a tape that protects the stitches so I even take a bath, if I want. Chemists are my heroes. I lost count of all the stitches I've had decades ago. One thing they all had in common was not getting them wet. Considering the area I now have them in, washing is important.
Jim, that's interesting about the special waterproof tape for stitches.Speaking of tape, I like PAPER tape for certain things. See it here:
http://www.dollartree.com/Royal-Paper...
"Paper tape for sensitive skin is a must-have component of first aid kits, medicine cabinets, and care clinics! Soft and flexible tape is ideal for securing bandages around the wound — it stays in place, yet is gentle to sensitive skin and painless to remove."
I use it to prevent blisters on my toes when my toes rub together when I'm wearing slightly tight shoes. The paper is easy to rip and to handle. It stays in place and is easy to remove. Doesn't leave residue.
I can't use that sensitive tape. I'm not & it doesn't stick. They do make good bandaids with cloth & good stickiness. For anything they won't fit, I use good quality duct tape. That might make it part of a day.
Whew, Jim. You sent me on a search to find out why they call it "duct tape" and also "duck tape".Best answers can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_cloth
and
http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttap...
Before you start reading the info at the above links, read the excerpts below to prepare yourself:
"In 1942 Revolite, then a division of Johnson & Johnson, originally developed an adhesive tape made from a rubber-based adhesive applied to a durable duck cloth backing."
"Another variation is heat-resistant duct tape useful for sealing heating and ventilation ducts..."
There's a version (at the 3rd link above) which says that it was related to ducks (quacking ducks). It says: "Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as 'duck' tape (like water off a duck’s back)." But I don't think that version holds water. :)
I've seen a lot of different duct tapes, Joy. I always thought Duck tape was a brand, but never paid much attention. The main thing is that it have good glue. Sometimes the thinner stuff is better than thicker. It usually is for cuts.I often see people gagged in movies by someone putting some duct tape over their mouth. Ridiculous. Duct tape doesn't stick well to faces because of the oil & mobility of the facial muscles. I know, I've cut my face a number of times from bowls breaking up on the lathe, so I've tried it.
Regular superglue doesn't work well on bleeding wounds nor on eye glasses. There are different formulations for that. The only way to seal a cut with regular superglue is to stop the blood for a bit. Some paper towel or sawdust works fairly well. If you protect it with a bit of good masking tape, it will even last for a day. A bit of accelerator also helps, but that stuff stings.
I use a fair amount of super glue. I keep 3 different viscosities around for patching wood up. I have spray on accelerator & debonder, too. I generally buy it in 2.5 oz containers. Great stuff. A bit of the thin will soak into a rotted spot & stiffen it up for turning in a few minutes. Thicker ones fill voids & if I rub in some sawdust, you often can't even see the spot.
Jim wrote: "... I rub in some sawdust, you often can't even see the spot. "Jim, you know all the tricks. LOL
I'll bet you're a handy guy to have around. :)
What do you think of the stuff they sell to repair chairs so the joints stay together. Lock-Tight? Something like that. Do you recommend it?
Joy, I had some of that Lock-tight around for years & never got around to using it or it didn't work right the time I tried it. It's been too long for me to be sure, but I remember tossing it when packing to move here. I think it's supposed to make the wood swell, which it can't do on furniture where finish or polish has gotten into the joint & that's too often the case.I've used a lot of different methods for locking joints back together. There isn't a good, single solution that I know of.
Joy, that was scarey, waking up almost before the surgery was done...Ouch or worse. I had a quite painful colonoscopy many years ago. No anesthetic. The dr did tell me it would hurt. It did.
Jim wrote: "J... I've used a lot of different methods for locking joints back together. There isn't a good, single solution that I know of."I just push the chair back together again. LOL
Nina, sorry you had pain with that procedure. Why didn't they give you an anesthetic?I myself have a low threshold for pain. So I desperately need anesthetics. My sister can stand hotter water than I can. At least that was how it was years ago. Haven't tried it lately. I wonder what causes the difference in pain thresholds.
Good luck to everyone in the storm area. Hope we don't lose our connection to the Internet but we probably will! Fingers crossed!http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick....
There is a fairly new group for "General Craft & DIY" here on GR.http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6...
It's very small right now. If anyone is interested & would like to join, it would be great.
Jim wrote: "There is a fairly new group for "General Craft & DIY" here on GR.http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6... ..."
Thanks, Jim. But I don't do anything myself. :)
Incredibly, we never lost power or Internet here during Hurricane Sandy.Can't believe it!
We had strong winds and rain but that's all.
Right now we have no wind at all. It's perfectly calm.
Can't believe how many millions have been affected.
I watched it all night on CNN.
PS-Our son's sailboat is OK but it was touch-and-go last night during the storm as the water level rose almost to the top of the pilings which hold the docks and boats in place on the Hudson River. It was a real cliff-hanger as I followed the related reports on FaceBook last night.
All our folks in MD & RI seem to have come through. Mom said lots of rain & some trees down, but she still has power. Brandon & Ashley lost theirs, but Brandon has a generator & hooked up a back feed from his garage sub panel a couple of days ago. I haven't heard from them, but Mom talked to them yesterday. James & Lauren, in RI, had a lot of fluctuations, but kept their power. Also, the big maple looming outside their house stayed up. That's been a worry, but it's so expensive to get taken down.
Glad to hear that your family is OK in the coastal states, Jim.Yes, it's expensive to have large trees taken down. We paid $600 for our latest Maple tree removal. But big heavy branches were breaking off and falling to the ground. So it was a big hazard.
We've had 3 old Maples removed over the years. The first one split apart and landed only a few feet from our car. It was a big heavy part of the tree and I heard and felt a thud when it came down. There was no wind at all when it came down. These trees get old and rotten inside. You never know when they are going to let go. They're dangerous.
What am I doing today? Worrying. My Mom lives on LI, no power. My brother has been stuck at work in NYC. They live 20 mins from my Mom. Getting gas for car is tough and will be impossible soon. Sister-in-law went to visit Mom on Monday, then her dtr went on Tues, her brother went the other day.....Mom doesn't want to leave the house. I can't go because may not get gas for return trip plus getting over the bridges is difficult. My Mom charged up her cell phone, which she rarely uses but either it didn't take a charge or....but it hasn't been working. No way to contact her unless someone goes to visit. Can't call a neighbor because there is no power.
Hence, I'm worrying.
Jim wrote: "There is a fairly new group for "General Craft & DIY" here on GR.http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6...
It's very small right now. If anyone is interested & would like to join, it would be gr..."
I joined although not very talented but I do try!
Nina wrote: "Joy, that was scarey, waking up almost before the surgery was done...Ouch or worse. I had a quite painful colonoscopy many years ago. No anesthetic. The dr did tell me it would hurt. It did."No anesthetic? Most drs anesthestize the local area. I was watching the exam on the tv screen. No pain. Some drs completely knock out the patient. I prefer the local cause then you aren't very groggy - just happy!
Linda wrote: "What am I doing today? Worrying. My Mom lives on LI, no power. My brother has been stuck at work in NYC. They live 20 mins from my Mom. Getting gas for car is tough and will be impossible soon. Sis..."Linda, I hope your mom will be OK. The situation seems to be getting worse instead of better. For some people it's been horrific! The TV coverage breaks your heart.
What's going to happen when this cold spell hits in a few days. People without heat or electricity will freeze to death.
The subways in NYC will take months to fix. It's too much to think about.
Linda wrote: "... I prefer the local cause then you aren't very groggy - just happy! "Linda, I didn't feel groggy after my anesthesia (for the colonoscopy). They gave me just enough to relax me and put me in a dreamy state. Afterwards, I was fine and I was able to go home.
I was plain unconscious for both the surgery & colonoscopy & still woke right up. The surgical team sent me a get well card, too. I guess it's SOP, but I was impressed enough by the whole thing that I'm writing a note to the Director of Surgery there to sing their praises. They were great.--------
Linda, sorry you're having such a tough time contacting your mother. You're smart not to go in that way, though. Everyone should stay out of the way as much as possible.
It likely will get worse before it gets better. Here are some pics of flooded NYC.
http://gizmodoemergency.wordpress.com...
Jim wrote: "... Here are some pics of flooded NYC.http://gizmodoemergency.wordpress.com... "
Jim, thanks for the link. In some places it looked like a tsunami! The panic of those people caught in traffic in their cars and then running as the water poured in must have been horrific! The pic with man standing on top of his car tells it all.
PS-I guess no one believed it would get that bad. They should have evacuated sooner!
It was 24 degrees out this morning. Brrr.
Funny to hear about that low temp in Kentucky!Our temps during the night were in the low 30's.
Last night I covered my outdoor geraniums (which are in a large wood planter) with a clear plastic bag just in case it went below freezing. When I took off the bag this morning it was full of condensation (many large water droplets) inside. The plant was fine. Interesting how much moisture those plants give off. Our outdoor begonias made it through the night without plastic!
I've already taken many of my potted plants inside (geraniums, impatiens, begonias and gallardia). They keep me busy watering them because of the warm dry indoor air. I enjoy watching the buds bloom.
We tend to get weather off the plains, so dip & rise more than folks near water.
Jim wrote: "We tend to get weather off the plains, so dip & rise more than folks near water."I see. Yes, being near Lake George here helps to moderate our weather. Temp is currently 33°F / 1°C. I've covered my geranium outside on the deck again. :)
I'm heartily sick of idiots garnering sympathy from the devastation caused by Sandy. I have a lot of sympathy for many of them, but people that live on a narrow sand spit between the ocean & a bay have no reason to cry when their house washes away. I don't think they should get a dime from Federal Aid. Seriously, buy a clue.
Good point, Jim. That brings up the subject of whether vacation homes should get Federal Aid. However, aid should go to those people who simply lived in ordinary houses which were in cities in the path of the flood waters. That also applies to the damage caused to flooded vehicles. How about damaged boats? Should they get federal aid? I wonder how decisions are made in that respect.
Has the profile picture disappeared from the posts here at Goodreads or have I pushed the wrong button on my computer?
PS-The profile pic has returned. Maybe my RAM computer memory was temporarily used up because I had too many tabs open on my browser. I closed a lot of the tabs and now it's OK.
Weather. Strange we are on our over hundred day of drought but we had beautiful fall colors three weeks ago and then some cold nights and cool days and now we are, according to the weather report, having a second fall. Trees that didn't do anything the first time around are now showing color and the last two days of this week are to be in the 70's. I also brought a pot of geraniums inside but still have impatients, begonias and petunias blooiming. Don't they know it's fall?
That DOES sound like strange weather, Nina! My outdoor geraniums finally froze but I saved some smaller pots inside. Our nights have been near or at freezing lately. Our furnace is running mostly all time. I can't imagine weather in the 70's at this point. :)
I still have marigolds, cosmos, gallardia & roses in bloom. After this last, hard frost, some of them died back, but others are still looking good.
Jim, I wonder how those flowers survived the hard frost.Sounds like a pretty garden!
It's cold and a little windy today - 33 degrees. Had to dig out in my winter clothes box for gloves yesterday and tights under my pants. I visit our senior clients which requires getting in and out of the car several times a day and was chilled to bone MOnday then Tuesday wore my tights under pants. Ahhhh. Now that felt much better.
Linda what brand of tights to you use? And what fabric? Even my silk tights (silk underwear from LL Bean) don't do the job. Also, my pointelle tights don't do the job. My slacks never keep me warm in the winter.I tried corduroy pants from Land's End but the cotton feels cold on my legs. Even fleece pants aren't enough. I need to find warm tights to wear under my pants. Usually I can't find any that are comfortable in larger sizes. Hate tight elastic around my waist!
Believe it or not, long flannel nightgowns keep me warmer than slacks around the house. The full skirt of the nightgown is warmer than the two separate pant legs.
LOL! Glad to see you're feeling good, Jim!Enjoy the weekend!
I'm finally tired of looking at the impatients and begonias and petunias so I'm pulling them out on this 75 degree day. I will leave the hibiscus as it is still blooming and eventually it will die of it's own free will. Also, making fruitcake today and that seems strange on such a warm day but we will eat it when it's cold; I presume around Christmas. Lots of jokes about fruitcake but I have been making this recipe for over sixty years and it is loved by anyone who has a tasts even non-believers.
This is so cool. The One Laptop Per Child program found out just how smart kids are. Short article, well worth reading:http://dvice.com/archives/2012/10/eth...
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Yes, and the weather cooperated. Upper 60's. Got some great shots of the Falls. No rainbows though.
I'd like to go back to Montezuma in the Spring. Then, take one of the walking trails. Bottle of water, couple of cameras and binoculars. Fun stuff.